Local Flavor
Soundtrack: “Grace” by Stavesacre

Today while I was browsing the iTunes Music Store trying to figure out what I was going to download for the 15 free songs I have, I couldn't help but notice that The Fray are number 6 on the iTunes most popular songs chart. For those of you not in the know, The Fray are from little old Denver. Not only that, but most of the guys in the band went to High School in Arvada with my friend Ruth. And now they are recieving amazing national attention... number 6 means they're topping acts like The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lil' Jon, and Panic! At The Disco. I'd say that's pretty good. I'm not a huge fan of their music, but I have to be proud. This is a local band! So go check 'em out if you haven't heard them before... you might just like them.

So far it's been a pretty good year for music, even with all of the poser Nu-Wave bands like the Bravery and Radio 4. If I want to hear New Order and Tears For Fears I'll listen to New Order and Tears For Fears, not some twenty-somethings who were still in diapers when Ian Curtis died. And don't even get me started on the whole retro garage movement that has been going on since The Strokes and The White Stripes blew up a few years ago. For example, there's a few lads from Australia who call themselves Wolfmother... but I liked it better when it was called Led Zeppelin. If you like Led Zeppelin, stick to Led. Wolfmother is just a disappointing clone.

Despite these disappointments within popular music (along with Fall Out Boy, The Used, and All-American Rejects), there is a vast body of good work being produced. Proabably the most anticipated album of this summer is The Eraser from Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke It was totally unexpected, too. Nobody knew Thom Yorke was even doing anything solo, it's release was just announced out of the blue. It couldn't be at a better time, though. Radiohead is on a huge and successful U.S. tour right now with every city selling out in a matter of hours, if not minutes.

Another highly anticipated album that comes out tomorrow is Johnny Cash's American V: A Hundred Highways. It is a collection of the last recordings Johnny Cash made before his death in 2003. As with the rest of his wonderful American Recordings records it is raw, intimate, and intense with emotion. Also of interest is Personal File, which is a collection of songs Johnny Cash recorded from 1973-1982 at his home studio. What is interesting is that these recordings have the same spirit as the American Recordings but his intent was unclear. Despite that, it's an amazing collection of intimate and heartfelt songs that highlight Johnny Cash's amazing heart.

Time for me to go catch up on podcasts... especially NPR's "All Songs Considered". I need to feed the music snob within!